Is Johnny Depp an INFP?

“I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.”

Based on this quote alone, I can conclude that Mr Depp is, in fact, an INFP. Johnny Depp is, without a doubt, one of the best things to have happened to Hollywood. Period. Not only is he a versatile actor, he is also one of the nicest people to be around. He is genuine and authentic, yet he likes to keep his personal life under wraps, and not many people get to see the entirety of who he is as an individual. 

Like I said, Johnny’s craft comes to him so naturally, he finds it almost natural to let himself be engulfed in the richness and depth of the numerous vibrant characters that he has played. It needs to be pointed out, that Depp never chooses mainstream characters for himself. He has been a drunkard, eccentric pirate, a peculiar candy man in form of Willy Wonka, the best version of the Mad-hatter to date, an eighteenth century vampire, one of the best wizards in world of sorcery as Grindelwald himself, as well as the infamous Humanoid, Edward Scissorhands.

In fact, Edward Scissorhands is probably one of the characters that Depp feels most connected to. A fan website defines the character as, “an artificial and ageless man who acts as the main protagonist of Edward Scissorhands. Despite his artificial nature, his emotions are quite real and the love he has for those he cares for is very strong.”

If we go deeper into Edward as a character, we can very easily realize that he’s an INFP. And this may very well be the reason why Depp relates most to Edward. But you’re not just going to take my word for it, right? So, let’s talk about some of the core characteristics that can help identify an INFP even if we don’t know them closely or deeply. 

Introverted-ness. 

INFPs are introverted. Big surprise. These people get exhausted by any amount of social interaction, and end up needing alone time to help recharge their emotional battery. They would choose to stay at home in their pyjamas and binge watch a show they’ve watched countless times before, over going to a social gathering. Any day. That being said, Depp’s career actually requires for him to be present at a lot of social events. But being an introvert doesn’t stop someone from being social if their work requires that of them, they are fully functional beings who know how to handle social situations. This, however, does not mean that INFPs don’t require plenty of time on their own.

They despise becoming the centre of attention, especially when they’re unprepared for it, and they find themselves at a loss of words if that ever happens. Johnny Depp, as evident by his many speeches after winning an award, finds himself in such situations, and he gets out of it by praising his fans – in nearly all of his acceptance speeches, he thanks the fans because without them, he wouldn’t be standing on a stage, being appreciated for his craft. Introverts feel their emotions internally, and rarely have the words to express them effectively. INFPs hate giving long monologues, despite what they show in movies – a true introvert would never. And that explains the short, thank the fans sort of sentences that he utilizes every single time. 

Social awkwardness.

Despite being capable enough of being social and successfully interacting with a group of people, most INFPs often struggle with social anxiety, which causes their mannerisms and what they say come out awkwardly. They are often unsure of what to say, and end up saying very random, strange-sounding things, usually without meaning to. They also criticise themselves heavily for doing that, later when they’re alone with their thoughts. But that doesn’t stop them from doing and saying similar types of things all over again. 

Johnny Depp is very socially awkward, especially when he’s addressing an audience. In 2017, when he was awarded with an award from the category of Favourite Movie Icon, Depp gave a speech that is filled with evidence of his social awkwardness. From his body language and movements, to the fact that he scratches his ear and touches his fact multiple times, and keeps staring down at his feel for a majority of time, to the many um sounds; it is evident how uncomfortable he feels about standing up there on a stage and addressing a huge audience. 

In this same speech, when he first steps in front of the mic and his award is handed to him, he struggles to talk and is met with loud screams coming from the audience. The realization that all eyes are on him makes him awkward, and he looks down at his award and points out that it is blue. Classic INFP move. 

When presented with a Donostia Award at the San Sebastian Film Festival 2021, Depp looked flustered, and he began his speech with a stutter, and then shared how deeply bad he is at public speaking. He then awkwardly proceeded on to pull out a piece of paper and read a prepared speech from it, because speaking on cue would have been a challenge for him, being an INFP. 

Optimistic cynicism. 

Yes, INFPs always try to see the best in all people and situations, and their default setting is to help people out, instead of meaningless pursuits like becoming rich or popular etc. However, these people tend to be inclined towards darkness just the same. They are prone to melancholy thoughts and feelings because of their dominant Fi function, which means that they feel every emotion with a depth and intensity that others cannot begin to fathom.

“I do have an affinity for damaged people, in life, in roles. I don’t know why. We’re all damaged in our own way. Nobody’s perfect. I think we are all somewhat screwy, every single one of us.”

– Johnny Depp 

Creativity and talent.

This shouldn’t come as a surprise, because INFPs have an endless supply of imaginary worlds and fantastical scenarios which allow them to think beyond the spectrum of reality. Their Ne function gives them the gift of creativity that they often tend to utilize to the best of their abilities. This is the reason why INFPs are also best suited for careers related to the arts. Depp, in his career, has shown tremendous promise, and has more than proven that he is worthy of all the love and praise that he receives from fans. His work speaks for itself. He is the man who can take a mainstream role, such as that of an eighteenth century vampire (movie: Dark Shadows), and give it his own personal touch to make the character his own – despite Johnathan Frid having played it in the 70s. Dare I say more?

Extremely protective of their people. 

INFPs only have a small group of people they can give anything to protect. They are empaths who can sense the emotional state a person is at any given moment. These introverts don’t open up to many people, and the ones they do let in, they are highly protective of. They are compassionate and understanding of the needs of their people, and may tolerate disrespect towards themselves, but would never stand for someone they love being put in harm’s way. 

Johnny Depp, in his own unique, strange way, has revealed in the past, how much his loved ones mean to him:

“If someone were to harm my family or a friend or somebody I love, I would eat them. I might end up in jail for 500 years, but I would eat them.”

Absolute weirdoes. 

If all the quotes and examples above didn’t make that clear to you, maybe this will help you realize that Johnny Depp is absolutely an INFP. These people are ridiculously weird, and say and do the strangest things that appear to be odd to the onlookers. The outward expression of an INFP’s inner, immensely weird world baffles the minds of many who often label them as eccentric or peculiar. But INFPs embrace their weirdness, and use it to view the world from their own unique perspective, so they can help make it a better place ultimately. 

Here are some quotes from Depp himself, which are going to aid you in understanding how he is an INFP:

“I think everybody’s weird. We should all celebrate our individuality and not be embarrassed or ashamed of it.”

“I try to stay in a constant state of confusion just because of the expression it leaves on my face.”

“I don’t pretend to be captain weird. I just do what I do.”

There are so many characteristics to this man’s persona that may be unfolded upon further investigation, to reveal the enigma that is Johnny Depp. We INFPs are more than proud to have a role model such as him, and quite frankly, he does the best job at representing the INFP type with dignity and respect.